Police chief, 4 others fired for cinnamon prank

JACKSON — A small Mississippi Delta town has fired its police chief, two officers, and two town officials after a video surfaced allegedly showing them encouraging a mentally challenged teenager to eat a mouthful of cinnamon.

The “Cinnamon Challenge” is a stunt in which people try to swallow cinnamon without water, which dries the mouth and usually causes them to cough and spit a plume of the spice.

Former Tutwiler Police Chief Terry Tyler said he was fired on Tuesday, but he said the firings were over “lies and false allegations.” Tyler says he’s consulting a lawyer and couldn’t comment further.